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What Others Are Saying
About R.J. Patterson
“R.J.’s storytelling feels as natural as James Patterson’s, and the short-chapter setup is the literary answer to Lay’s potato chips: you just want one more and before you know it, you’ve gone through the whole thing.
- David Bashore,The Times-News, Twin Falls, ID
“R.J. Patterson does a fantastic job at keeping you engaged and interested. I look forward to more from this talented author.”
- Aaron Patterson, bestselling author of SWEET DREAMS
“Patterson has a mean streak about a mile wide and puts his two main characters through quite a horrible ride, which makes for good reading.”
- Richard D., reader
“Like a John Grisham novel, from the very start I was pulled right into the story and couldn’t put the book down. It was as if I personally knew and cared about what happened to each of the main characters. Every chapter ended with so much excitement and suspense I had to continue to read until I learned how it ended, even though it kept me up until 3:00 A.M.
- Ray F., reader
DEAD SHOT
“Small town life in southern Idaho might seem quaint and idyllic to some. But when local newspaper reporter Cal Murphy begins to uncover a series of strange deaths that are linked to a sticky spider web of deception, the lid on the peaceful town is blown wide open. Told with all the energy and bravado of an old pro, first-timer R.J. Patterson hits one out of the park his first time at bat with Dead Shot. It’s that good.”
-Vincent Zandri, bestselling author of THE REMAINS
“You can tell R.J. knows what it’s like to live in the newspaper world, but with Dead Shot, he’s proven that he also can write one heck of a murder mystery. With a clever plot and characters you badly want to succeed, he is on his way to becoming a new era James Patterson.”
- Josh Katzowitz,
NFL writer for CBSSports.com
& author of Sid Gillman: Father of the Passing Game
DEAD LINE
“This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I didn’t really want to put it down. R.J. Patterson has hooked me. I’ll be back for more.”
- Bob Behler
3-time Idaho broadcaster of the year
and play-by-play voice for Boise State football
DEAD IN THE WATER
“In Dead in the Water, R.J. Patterson accurately captures the action-packed saga of a what could be a real-life college football scandal. The sordid details will leave readers flipping through the pages as fast as a hurry-up offense.”
- Mark Schlabach,
ESPN college sports columnist and
co-author of Called to Coach
Heisman: The Man Behind the Trophy
Other titles by R.J. Patterson
Brady Hawk series
First Strike
Deep Cover
Point of Impact
Full Blast
Target Zero
Fury
State of Play
Seige
Seek and Destroy
Into the Shadows
Hard Target
No Way Out
Cal Murphy Thriller series
Dead Shot
Dead Line
Better off Dead
Dead in the Water
Dead Man's Curve
Dead and Gone
Dead Wrong
Dead Man's Land
Dead Drop
Dead to Rights
Dead End
James Flynn Thriller series
The Warren Omissions
Imminent Threat
The Cooper Affair
Seeds of War
INTO THE SHADOWS
A Brady Hawk Thriller
R.J. PATTERSON
For Blake, a true gentleman
and an even greater man
CHAPTER 1
The Al Hajar Mountains, Oman
BRADY HAWK ADJUSTED THE STRAPS on his backpack and then glanced over his shoulder at the Australian couple lagging behind him. The man fumbled with his water bottle, while the woman stopped to take another picture of a goat herder guiding his flock toward a pasture with more vegetation. With the sun arching high above them, Hawk figured this was as good of a time as any to stop and eat lunch.
“You guys hungry?” Hawk asked.
“I thought you said there was a great place to eat near a waterfall,” the man said, a scowl rippling across his forehead.
“We can press on,” Hawk said. “It’s your dime. I just thought because you both keep stopping to rest so often, it might be good to put something in your bellies so we can finish the hike.”
The man, who went by the name of Liam Turner, glared at Hawk.
“What exactly are you suggesting?” Turner asked.
The woman, Lily, shot Liam a sideways glance.
“Do you have to take everything everyone says as some kind of slight toward you?” she asked, continuing on without waiting for a response. “You do this all the time when we’re at home. I make one little comment and you would think that I just insulted your entire ancestry for the last thousand years. Just get a grip. Are you hungry or not?”
Hawk tried to hide his smirk. Lily’s fiery response reminded him of Alex, whom he hadn’t seen in almost nine months when he thought it was prudent to disappear. In a second, he was whisked away to a memory of when Alex stood up to one of the feistier foes they encountered while in Somalia. Engrossed in his recollection of the event, Hawk had let his guard down and was grinning ear to ear.
“Hey, asshole,” Liam said as he stormed toward Hawk. “You think that’s funny?”
Hawk snapped back to reality just in time to avoid Liam’s right hook. Acting on instinct, Hawk ducked before going low and putting Liam on his back. Hawk was about to pummel the snarky Aussie’s face before thinking better of it. Instead, Hawk hopped up and offered his hand to Liam.
Swatting dismissively at Hawk, Liam climbed to his feet unassisted.
“Is that how you treat all of your clients?” Liam asked with a snarl.
“Only the ones who try to throw a punch at me,” Hawk said. “Now, I’ll ask again. Would you like to eat here or wait until we reach the waterfall two hours from now?”
“I think I’m ready to go back,” Liam said.
“I’m starving, Liam,” Lily said as she stuffed her camera back into her bag. “Let’s eat now.”
“No, I want to go
